The Quiet Assistant's Roar

e back the n

y charm, he' d offered, "Want me to wire you some money

standard gu

er lips. "No, thank you, Etha

l Hayes Consolidated several times

rejecting the role of a kept woman,

or today?" he' d pressed,

eaning," Ava had rep

have a quiet dinner in. Just us

potential ripples his "business trip" – or Chloe's t

to his engagement party with Chloe Pa

was a suffoc

onfront him di

sfying, more permanen

gan to

lutter, bu

er – deleted from her

rs – a delicate silver bracelet, a first edition

iny apartment, a ghost

; it was a symbolic disma

partment, using the key he

gs she kept there: a change of c

d never truly moved in, ne

ion to "Ethan Hayes & Chloe Parker's Engagement Soirée" hi

d, but seeing it, feeling the thick, exp

op of his otherwis

out the printouts of

is duplicity, cle

it. He would

e was leaving his buildi

a beast. I'll be home in an

was light,

walk, the city's noise

calm, almost detached. "We ne

said, a nervous laugh in h

ldn't confess, couldn't brin

tions. "You know I love you, Ava, righ

ilent, her res

er out that night, a "welcome home" dinne

, trendy restaurant,

lmness settling over her

urant was

prominent table,

same moment Ava did

his voice tight.

ry grace. "Ethan, darli

rfectly manicured

hloe Parker, this is my... friend, Ava Chen.

ls stung, but Ava kept her expressio

re venom, thinly veil

, Ava. Ethan talks so much abo

, a reminder of Ava' s

rip, materialized beside Chl

ple and... the intern," Skip drawled,

to see you slumming it with t

oincidence. Chloe had orches

anger, but he quickly sup

ention, her hand possessively on his arm,

e, an observer at

Ava subtly cle

her, feigning concern. "You

so performative it

d by Chloe' s presence,

ling of expensive whiskey. "Still think Pi

, a harsh, b

s divide, hammering home her s

gaze, her own

ea who they we